Monarchists have held a founding congress of their new party in Moscow. The Tsarist Russia party sees restoring the monarchy in the country as one of its main strategic purposes.

On Sunday, 147 delegates from 46 Russian regions gathered in the capital to create the new party, reports Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily. A black-yellow-white tricolor was chosen as its flag and a double-headed eagle as its emblem. The slogan for the gathering was “Tsar is coming to Russia and you should lead the people towards Tsar”.

Historian Dmitry Merkulov, who was elected the chair of Tsarist Russia, said that the constitution could be changed in a democratic way, by calling a Zemsky Sobor (Council of all Lands), or a parliament of the feudal Estates type, similar to the one that was first established by Tsar Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. “And Zemsky Sobor could choose a monarch,” Merkulov explained.

The new party also approved its charter, which was published on the Tsarist Russia’s website. Among its main purposes, the movement names molding public opinion on the necessity to go back to “monarchist rule, as is traditional for Russia,” educating citizens in “monarchist spirit,” and, also, taking part in parliamentary and presidential elections.

The party’s idea is that the state should be ruled by a Tsar, but Zemsky Sobor would be the supreme legislative and consultative body. The Sobor delegates should be elected from professional groups and from Russian regions. And social justice is named the basis of the state and public life of monarchic Russia.

According to the Tsarist Russia program, every citizen would be granted free medical service and education, modern housing, well-paid jobs and “judicial and physical protection from any encroachments on their lives or property.” Tobacco and alcohol would be taken under state monopoly, foreign sects banned and the death penalty imposed for terrorism, keeping and selling drugs, rape of minors and for high treason.

Foreign policy tasks include “restoring the Russian state within its natural borders” and actively seeking the voluntarily return of Ukraine and Belarus to a unified state; revival of close ties with Russia’s traditional partners, first of all Orthodox and Slavic. According to monarchists, Russia should minimize its membership in any kinds of international organizations.

Sunday’s congress organizers believe they could get from 10 per cent to 20 per cent of the votes during the elections.